Environment: Paris summit, EU calls for global agreement to end plastic waste

The second round of high-level negotiations on the way to achieving a global treaty against plastic pollution began in Paris yesterday and will continue until 2 June. Commissioner Sinkevičius represents the European Commission at the meeting organised by the United Nations. “With plastic production forecasted to triple by 2060, the EU - according to a statement released in Brussels today - will call for legally binding provisions to address the production of primary plastics, with a view to making production and consumption sustainable. More than 1,000 delegates from governments, NGOs, industry and civil society” intend to reach a “legally binding instrument”, by the end of 2024, “to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment”. Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “An international plastics treaty is our chance to stop plastic pollution by introducing global rules throughout the entire plastics life cycle. In the EU, we keep strengthening our legislation to reduce plastic pollution – from new EU-wide rules to reduce packaging to measures on microplastics. We are determined to keep working for ambitious action across the world, as the fight against the pollution, climate and biodiversity crises must involve all of us”.
Valentina Bombelli